Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 59: Hatake Sakumo
---Danzo POV---
After hearing that Hiruzen intended to dismiss him, Danzo had given his most trusted subordinates a final, secret mission to destroy every shred of information tied to Root. Records of experiments, forbidden trades, and political manipulations were to be erased before they could be used against him.
He had done countless things in the shadows, things even his allies would call unforgivable if they were ever dragged into the light. He had kidnapped orphans from inside and outside village, twisted them into tools stripped of humanity. He had performed experiments and those who forcefully participate are dead, condemning dozens of children to slow, painful deaths. And worst of all, though even he didn't admitted it to himself, he had helped enemy villages coordinate the destruction of Uzushiogakure, the homeland of the Uzumaki. To him, it had been a "necessary sacrifice," removing a clan too dangerous to Konoha supremacy and his path to becomage Hokage. But deep down, he knew others would call it nothing less than treason.
Fortunately, when the Anbu raided his archives, they had been too late. Nearly sixty-five percent of the most damning documents had already been destroyed in flames. The ones detailing his ties to Uzushiogakure's downfall were among those lost forever. Only fragments remained, enough to paint him as ruthless, perhaps, but not as a traitor.
Still, despite his precautions, he was summoned by Hiruzen. That alone set his nerves on edge.
The Hiruzen office felt colder than usual when he entered. Inside, Hiruzen sat at his desk, his eyes looked at him with a trace of anger, eyes shadowed with fatigue but sharp. Beside him stood Hatake Sakumo, the current Anbu Commander, a man known for his keen instincts and incorruptible loyalty.
Danzo crossed his arms. "Why are you still calling me here? You have already stripped me of my position. Do you seek to humiliate me further?"
Hiruzen exhaled heavily. "I did not summon you for humiliation. I need you to undo the curse seal placed on your former Root operatives."
The words made Danzo heart skip a beat. He had hoped Hiruzen would not bring it up so soon. That seal was his greatest safeguard, a curse woven into the very tongues of his operatives to ensure their silence. Without it, they could speak freely of his crimes, of the operations carried out in shadows.
But Danzo schooled his features, masking his unease. "Impossible," he said coolly. "I created that seal without knowing how to reverse it."
Hiruzen eyes narrowed. "Danzo… do not test me. Do you truly wish me to force the answer from you?"
Danzo kept his voice steady, though his palms itched with sweat. "Force me if you wish. Even under torture, I could not give you what does not exist."
Hiruzen leaned forward, his tone darkening. "Then perhaps I should ask the Uzumaki Clan. Their mastery of sealing far surpasses ours. Lady Mito or Clan Leader Raiken may know a method to unravel what you have done."
For the briefest moment, Danzo chest tightened, but he quickly turned the gamble into a weapon. He smirked faintly and replied in the same calm tone, "Then call them. I, too, would be curious to learn whether my work can be undone because I myself didn't know how to undone it."
It was a bold bet, but Danzo knew Hiruzen too well. The Hokage hands were not clean, he had tacitly allowed Root to exist for years, even sanctioned certain missions. If the Uzumaki learned that Konoha had permitted such twisted seals to be placed on children, Lady Mito wrath would be fierce, and Raiken disdain even worse. Hiruzen would never risk such exposure.
Indeed, Danzo saw a flicker of hesitation in his old comrade eyes. That was all the confirmation he needed. He allowed himself a thin smile as he turned and left the office, his footsteps unhurried. His secret, for now, remained safe.
---Hatake Sakumo---
When the door closed behind Danzo, Hiruzen sagged back into his chair. The silence hung heavy until Sakumo finally spoke.
"Hokage-sama, shall I summon Lady Mito or Clan Leader Raiken?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "No. That will not be necessary."
Sakumo frowned. "But without the Uzumaki, how can we hope to break the seal? As long as it remains, the former Root members cannot speak freely. Their silence prevent us knowing about the former root leader crime."
"I am aware," Hiruzen said quietly, his gaze distant. "Your task is not to break the seal, but to ensure that every ex-Root shinobi sheds their loyalty to Danzo and shift it to Konoha instead. The curse may bind their tongues, but loyalty is a chain of the heart. If that chain is broken, then Danzo loses his army and Konoha gain a new shinobi. Don't worry, he had now lose his people so make sure to train them well."
Sakumo studied the Hokage carefully. He could sense there was more Hiruzen was not saying. Perhaps some secret deal with Danzo in the past, a bargain now too shameful to bring into the open. But Sakumo was not a man to pry beyond his station.
"As you command, Hokage-sama," he said.
"You may go."
Dismissed, Sakumo left the Hokage office. By then, the sky had already turned orange with evening light. As he walked through the village, he was greeted warmly by passersby. Konoha felt… lighter these days, as if a new wind blew through its streets. The Uzumaki arrival had brought change, tangible, undeniable change. Shops sold their innovative products, villagers praised the efficiency of their tools, and even his own wife delighted in using the Uzumaki stove at home.
As Anbu Commander, Sakumo had once been ordered to copy the Uzumaki scrolls for study. Yet every attempt failed, the scrolls burned instantly the moment they were opened without permission, this means Uzumaki had designed the scroll for others not to copy it, such a smart move."
Sakumo chuckled to himself, recalling his wife reminder that morning. They had only one fire stove scroll left, and she wanted him to purchase another bulk of scroll. The scroll is Practical and once you use it, you will become dependable with it, now he grew accustomed to them, it was hard to return to the old ways using firewood.
Turning down the main street, Sakumo made his way toward the Uzumaki scroll shop. To his surprise, he spotted none other than Uzumaki Raiken himself, strolling leisurely among the villagers.
Sakumo paused, watching the man. Raiken carried himself with quiet confidence, a leader who seemed more like a scholar than a warrior, yet his presence commanded respect. Sakumo wondered how much of Konoha current transformation was due to this single man vision.
Author Notes: To read advanced chapter you can go my patreon.
Chapter 87: Knocked Some Sense
Chapter 88: Nagato Born
Chapter 89: Daimyo Took Action
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